206 DATEGROWING 



Lost in the technicalities of the above analysis 

 are the aromatic substances that give the date its 

 peculiar flavor, apart from sweetness due to sugar. 

 These aromatic bodies are rather easily volatilized, 

 and in the treatment of dates for market care must 

 be taken not to drive out the aroma, as the date then 

 loses its seductive flavor. 



The chemical composition of the date at that 

 stage of complete maturity known as ripening depends 

 on the activity of various ferments. These ferments 

 are held in colloidal form within the cell protoplasm. 

 When ripening begins they lose their colloidal charac- 

 ter and can then pass through the cell surface, diffusing 

 through the substance of the fruit and beginning 

 those changes that result in ripeness. Simultaneously 

 the tannic acid of the date becomes insoluble, and the 

 date loses the puckering taste characterizing the 

 green fruit. Just what these changes are chemically 

 is not known, but experiments have proved that 

 beyond a certain stage of maturity the ripening of the 

 date is not necessarily vitalistic but due to the enzymes 

 or ferments liberated by the cells. In fact, ripening 

 may be initiated naturally by an agonal period pre- 

 ceding the death of the cell. At any rate, at maturity 

 the date is filled with all the potentials and materials 

 for ripening ; it can be removed from the tree and very 

 often ripened to better advantage artificially. The 

 "artificial" part of ripening a date simply consists 

 in giving the fruit the best possible environment in 

 which to activate or quicken the work of its enzymes. 



When the date accumulates fifty per cent, or 

 more of dry matter it begins to ripen. It grows 

 darker in color, softer, translucent, loses its as- 

 tringency owing to precipitation of its tannin, becomes 



